BéréSanké Percussion, Kocassalé Dioubaté, Hand-made drums, Workshops, Performances
Hand-made African drums, instruments, music, workshops and performances.
Djembe
The djembe drum is hand-carved from a solid piece of wood. A goat skin is stretched over the top to create the drumhead. Originally materials like sinew and cane would have been used, but these days iron rods and nylon rope are tightened precisely to tune the drum.
The djembe is played with bare hands. There is a wide range of sounds that can be produced on the djembe - Hitting the center of the skin produces the “Bass” note, while hitting the skin along the edge creates the “Tone” (fingers together) or the “Slap” (fingers apart).
Soloists and professional Djembefola (Mandingo word for Djembe player) attach a set of 3 Sese rattles to amplify and compliment the sound of the djembe.
The djembe drum (pronounced "jem-bay") has its origin in Guinea, in the ancient Empire of Mali, which ruled from the 14th to 16th centuries.
The djembe is said to contain 3 spirits - The spirit of the tree, the spirit of the animal of which the drumhead is made and the spirit of the instrument maker. It is considered by many as a healing drum, and by others as a magical drum with powers to transport people into other worlds.
Many things can affect the quality of the djembe's sound, including the carving and density of the wood. Kunda Culture only sells authentic, professional-quality Djembes from Guinea – birthplace of the djembe!
Each one of our drums are hand-carved in the traditional way by the best artisans of Guinea, and are unique in size and style. All of Kunda Culture's instruments are fairly-traded, with proceeds of the company's profits supporting our charities in Africa!
Learn more about the origin of the djembe
DRUMS AVAILABLE IN VARIOUS GUINEAN WOODS
"Bois Blanc" (White Wood) - A lighter alternative (in colour and in weight) than the darker woods of Guinea.
Lingne (pronounced "Ling-yay") - This durable, attractive teak-coloured wood creates a beautiful warm tone.
Hari - Djembes made of this wonderfully strong wood have enhanced the reputation of Guinean drums as the best drums in the world.
Akazu or "Bois Noir" (Black Wood) - When Koca describes this wood, he says "You will play this drum, your children will play this drum, your children's children will play this drum" - an exceptionally strong and durable wood, that is distinguishable by its distinct dark (almost black) colour.
EACH DRUM IS UNIQUE!
Not all of our drums could be pictured or listed here - consult the photos to the left as a guide, and email us at
kocassale@hotmail.com with any and all other questions and inquiries.
All listed measurements are approximate within a 1/2".
See something you like in the photos? Be sure to make specifications when you checkout!
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